Introduction
The years between 1975 and 1985, declared by the United Nations to be the “Decade for Women,” were a time of growing awareness for women’s issues on an international scale. In Kenya, women’s places in the private and public spheres continued to be publicly debated even a decade removed from Kenyan independence. Contemporary gender roles surrounding marriage and financial independence were called into question as an increasing number of educated, urban women joined the workforce. Women’s groups, created in lieu of government support for these causes, sought to challenge long-held ideas of femininity and broaden access to social services. Meanwhile, the Kenyan legislature - composed almost entirely of men - worked to overturn laws aimed at protecting women during divorce proceedings.
As such, Kenya found itself housing a host of opposing opinions on women’s rights. Launched in 1974 within this contested environment, Viva: The Magazine for Kenyan Women is a fascinating source through which to consider this controversy. The first publication of its kind in Africa, Viva was an important medium for upper class Kenyan women seeking progress in the changing social, political, and economic landscapes of their nation. Topical feature articles, politically-charged editorials, and combative letter-to-the-editor pages coexisted with traditional components of a women’s magazine to offer a revealing look into the everyday lives of Kenyan women.
This SourceLab edition presents three selections from Viva spanning from 1978 to 1979, showcasing the variety of content one could find within the magazine’s colorful binding. In addition to a general overview of the publication, contextual information is presented alongside each selection. This edition aims to illuminate the early Kenyan women’s movement and its implications for second wave feminism - historically focalized through a Western lens - in discussing issues of sexuality, family dynamics, and economic rights, as they specifically pertain to Kenyan women in this period.
As such, Kenya found itself housing a host of opposing opinions on women’s rights. Launched in 1974 within this contested environment, Viva: The Magazine for Kenyan Women is a fascinating source through which to consider this controversy. The first publication of its kind in Africa, Viva was an important medium for upper class Kenyan women seeking progress in the changing social, political, and economic landscapes of their nation. Topical feature articles, politically-charged editorials, and combative letter-to-the-editor pages coexisted with traditional components of a women’s magazine to offer a revealing look into the everyday lives of Kenyan women.
This SourceLab edition presents three selections from Viva spanning from 1978 to 1979, showcasing the variety of content one could find within the magazine’s colorful binding. In addition to a general overview of the publication, contextual information is presented alongside each selection. This edition aims to illuminate the early Kenyan women’s movement and its implications for second wave feminism - historically focalized through a Western lens - in discussing issues of sexuality, family dynamics, and economic rights, as they specifically pertain to Kenyan women in this period.
